"It is a happy, celebratory day, and so many of you in this audience are the reason we're here today," Perry said. "In signing House Bill 2, we celebrate and further cement the foundation on which the culture of life in Texas is built upon."

House Bill 2 expands abortion restrictions in the state. The bill bans abortions after 20 weeks and adds new requirements on abortion clinics and physicians.

Gov. Perry invited special guests and some lawmakers to join him at the signing at the Capitol. Opponents of the bill plan to file a lawsuit to prevent it from going into effect.

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Last week, the Texas Senate passed House Bill 2, restricting abortions in Texas. Gov. Rick Perry is expected to sign it in coming days, and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services is already gearing up to start implementing the changes . But even with that battle lost, some Democrats have dared to dream about what the abortion battle could mean for the 2014 elections.

Now that House Bill 2 has passed and awaits Governor Rick Perry’s signature, a long process will begin to determine how the new, stricter standards for abortion clinics will be implemented. The Texas Department of Health Services will be in charge of writing rules for how abortion clinics in Texas will need to upgrade. "After a particular bill is signed, we will start working to implement it based on the time frame indicated in the legislation," said Carrie Williams, spokesperson for the...

Update: The Senate has given a final vote to pass House Bill 2, passing it 19-11. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst asked Senators that "whether you're Christian, whether you're a person of faith, that we not forget to love each other." He said he felt goose bumps by seeing the orange and blue shirts in the gallery. Update : The fate of House Bill 2 has been decided for now. The Texas Senate voted preliminarily 19 to 11 to pass the measure, without any amendments.

They need to give the bill a final vote before it would go to Gov. Rick Perry's desk for a signature. In the last stretch of the night, senators gave most of their most impassioned statements when they gave their closing remarks. View a photo gallery of the day's events in the slideshow player at the top of this page.